You asked, Ken answers ...

I used to enjoy working here, but the company recently overhauled my department and fired some of our best employees. The new director hired a group of her friends as replacements. The new people dislike those of us from the former regime, and they have no experience in this field. The HR manager said that if I cannot follow the new lead, I should move on. Is it time to move on?

This is a perfect recipe for brewing nothing but trouble in a department. Simply remove some excellent employees, replace them with an inexperienced clique of the director's cronies, and then stir it all up with an HR manager who has a "take it or leave" attitude.

At the same time, even though you do not like what's cooking here, it may still be premature to leave right now. Although the newcomers are less than friendly with you and your longer-term associates, that may change in time, particularly when they realize that they need your expertise. This fact may also induce the new director to come around as well.

However, if you continue to find a misdirected director, a clique that doesn't click with you, and a Human Resources Manager who is less than humane and not exactly a resource, then you should seriously think about visiting the next level of management. Most senior managers are not real enthusiastic about departments that set out to be reorganized and end up being disorganized.

If you take these steps and still conclude that it is time to leave, you will never have to look back and wonder if you left too quickly. In fact, you will probably never look back at all.

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